A Medicare Savings Program may help eligible people pay certain Medicare costs. States administer these programs, and eligibility depends on the program and your circumstances. Do not assume an online national limit tells the whole story.
Ask your state about the right program
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), Qualifying Individual (QI) and Qualified Disabled and Working Individual (QDWI) programs help with different costs. Income and resource rules, and how items are counted, can differ. Ask for a current assessment rather than relying on an old chart.
Prepare an application folder
- Your Medicare information and current address
- Income records requested by the state
- Resource information when required
- Insurance and assistance notices
- A record of the application date and confirmation number
Use the state's secure application method. Respond to requests for missing documents and retain the determination letter. An insurance agency can help you find information, but the state decides eligibility.
If you have QMB
QMB has important protections against billing for Medicare-covered cost sharing. If you receive a bill you believe violates those protections, contact the provider and Medicare for help. Keep the bill and proof of your status.
If you are denied
Read the reason and any appeal deadline. A missing document and a finding that you do not meet the rules need different responses. Ask the state what correction or review is available. Report changes and complete renewals as instructed.
Continue with a related question
- Medicare and Medicaid: Different Programs, Coordinated Help
- Medicare Premiums, Deductibles and Medical Cost Sharing
- A Medicare Medical Claim Was Denied: What to Do Next